Heading South in a Glass Roof Mustang GT

Sometimes I amaze myself with how stupid I can be. After a long night of drinking in Las Vegas, I woke up in my hotel room just in time to see Northwest Airlines flight 544 fly past me overhead. Realizing that maybe I should have set an alarm clock before starting drinking, I immediately panic, throw my stuff in my bags as quickly as possible, and book it to the airport, while trying to book the next available flight to Detroit. And what was in Detroit that was so important? Actually, its what’s in Texas that’s really important. By now, you’re probably very confused, so let me explain:

Several weeks ago I was invited by Shelby Autos to participate in the Shelby Bullrun Rally, starting in Terlingua, TX. Terlingua has a special significance for Shelby fans, as that’s where Carrol and crew used to street race in the sixties. This rally honors the spirit of those days, and as such, I needed an appropriate vehicle to attend. Ford SVT happily provided me with a spanking new, zero miles Glass Roof Mustang GT for the event, except I had to pick up the car in Detroit, some 1750 miles from Terlingua, which is in West Texas, just north of the Mexican border. The road trip is one of the greatest American pastimes, second only to Baseball (which I hate) and NASCAR (which I hate even more). So it’s at the top of my personal pastime list. Continue reading…

Landing in Detroit, finally, around 11 pm, my sparkling silver chariot was waiting. 56 miles on the odometer. Nice. Not one to waste time, I hit the road, guided by my trusty Garmin GPS and protected by my Valentine One.

Six hours and 500 miles later: I am hallucinating from tiredness, having driven across the states of Michigan and Illinois overnight. I stop along the Missouri border at the most budget of hotels, and contemplate my journey and my ride. Though it is ready for its 2010 update, the Mustang proves very worthy as a road trip car. The seats are comfortable and supportive, power is ample across the entire powerband, and the clutch is light enough to not tire out my left leg after hitting some construction south of Chicago. I average 20.6 mpg over 600 miles at 80 mph, and the glass panoramic roof provides a stellar view of the nightime sky. Time to pass out, more from the road to Terlingua tomorrow (with pics).